Page 56 of Love’s Strongest Soldier

Ghost came back out of the bathroom and stopped at the side of the bed. I heard the drawer on the nightstand open and then close, so I placed my phone back on my nightstand.

“I was waiting for the perfect moment to do this. I had all the works planned out for it, but what better moment to do it than now?”

When he turned around, I saw the small velvet box in his hand. I just knew that wasn’t what I thought it is.

“Ghost . . .”

I shifted in the bed where I was fully facing him.

“You deserve the best of the best, Luxe. You deserve your fairy-tale ending just like everyone else. I knew that shit between us was far from perfect. Hell, I almost checked out of here. That was another reason why I wanted to gone and do this. I didn’t want to spend another moment without you being my wife.”

He dropped down to one knee and winced. I bolted to my feet and ran around the bed. “Please get up off the floor.” I couldn’t bear watching him in pain.

“When you tell me that you’ll be my wife, I’ll get up.”

Moisture filled my eyes as I stared at this man.

“Yes.” I nodded. He slipped the ring on my finger, and it fit perfectly.

“You’re crazy. You know that?”

“Crazy for you.”

Gripping him underneath his arm, I helped him to his feet. He cupped my face and brought his lips to mine.

“We’re really about to do this?” I asked him when he peeled away.

“Long as you don’t leave me at the altar.”

“I’ll never do anything like that.” I snickered. The night he got shot, I didn’t leave his side all the way until we came home. This was where my heart was, and I’d be a fool to walk away from it. “I guess it’s time for me to tell everyone, huh?”

“Unless you gon’ wait ’til the wedding day,” he joked and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

“Damn, I love you.”

Later that day, I gathered all my family on a Zoom call so that I could tell them the news. It would’ve been great to tell them in person, but with Ghost and I not being able to leave the house, I would’ve had to wait to tell them.

“Luxe why you got us on here like we’re in a fucking business meeting?” Maniac questioned me. This man always had something to say.

“If you give me time, I can tell you why I invited all of y’all here.” My eyes glanced down at the huge emerald cut diamond on my finger. “I wanted to let y’all know that I’m getting married!” I lifted my hand up into the camera and squealed. The only person screaming back with me was Solei. She was the only person who knew Ghost and I had a thing.

“When have you had the time to date?” Daddy questioned me.

“I haven’t seen you with no man. Who the hell asked you to marry them? He ain’t even been through us first. Nigga ain’t got no manners,” Wicked added. I figured the boys were gon’ have something to say because they were so overprotective of me.

Solei silently sat there on the screen. “Wait, I think Solei knows something we don’t know,” Aria spoke up. I knew she was gon’ say something eventually.

“I don’t know nothing,” Solei quickly objected.

“Congrats, Sis,” Grim spoke. At least someone other than Solei was happy for me. Grim disappeared from the screen before I could even thank him.

“Are you gon’ tell us who the nigga is?” Maniac questioned.

I looked over the screen at Ghost who patiently sat there to see how the call was going to turn out. I beckoned for him. He came over and appeared in the screen.

“Ghost? See, I called that shit,” Maniac said.

“You ain’t call nothing. Why you lying?” Solei questioned him.